Civilian Casualties

Civilian Casualties

Incident Code

CS955b

Incident date

June 9, 2017

Location

شارع النور, Al Nour Mosque, Raqqa, Syria

Geolocation

35.956623, 38.993065 Note: The accuracy of this location is to Exact location (via Airwars) level. Continue to map

Airwars assessment

Five people were killed due to an airstrike that destroyed their home near the Al Nour mosque. Some of their names were initially reported on by several local sources (RBSS, RFS, Step News Agency) in connection to incident CS955a. During investigations of this event for the April 2019 joint Airwars and Amnesty report War in Raqqa: Rethoric versus Reality (www.raqqa.amnesty.org), Amnesty field researchers were able to identify 2 different airstrikes that happened in the area, in which people of 4 different families were killed. This one, on June 9th, 2017 at 12:30 killed 2 children, 2 women and a man and one person was injured. The War in Raqqa: Rethoric versus Reality report notes: “Five people – 2 children, 2 women and a man – were killed when their home was destroyed by an airstrike at 12.30 am. Wathna Turkmani, a midwife, lived on the third floor but was staying with her aunt on the ground floor for fear of airstrikes. Her aunt, Fadwa Al Mammo, was injured and left paralysed.” She told Amnesty investigators: “My seven-year-old daughter and my friend, also a midwife who had been displaced from her home were both killed as well as my cousin and his wife and their baby son. This war killed so many innocent civilians.”

In their monthly civilian casualty reports, the US-led Coalition has indicated that the credibility of Amnesty’s civilian harm allegation is in the process of being assessed.

The incident occured at 00:30:00 local time.

The victims were named as:

Family members (3)

Mahmoud Faruq al-Khalaf
31 years old male husband of Salam killed
Salam Matar al-Hind
20s years old female wife of Mahmoud killed
Assad Faruq al-Khalaf
5 months years old male son of Mahmoud and Salam killed

The victims were named as:

Tala Turkmani
7 years old female daughter of Wathna Turkmani killed
Hanan Hamzeh
38 years old female friend of Wathna Turkmani killed
Fadwa Al Mammo
Adult female aunt of Wathna Turkmani injured

Geolocation notes (2) [ collapse]

  • Before the strike on July 2, 2017

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

  • After the strike on July 6, 2017

    Imagery:
    Amnesty International

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (47) [ collapse]

Media
from sources (18) [ collapse]

  • Mahmoud Farouk al-Khalafand his four-month child died in an alleged Coalition strike on Al Nour street, June 10th, according to sources (via Raqqa Ahluna)
  • Hanan Mohamed Ali Hassan Hamza, reportedly victim of the alleged Coalition strikes targeting areas near the Mosque Al-Nour, Ragga (via Raqqa Ahluna facebbok)
  • Building near Barazi pharmacy where 5 were killed (via Amnesty International)
  • Aftermath of the place that was targeted by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via Q_Alenzy twitter)
  • Destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via Q_Alenzy twitter)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Image of the destruction caused by the alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured or killed civilian caused by alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Injured or killed civilian caused by alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • This media contains graphic content. Click to unblur.

    Civilian victim of by alleged Coalition strikes in Al Noor Street behind Al Barazi Pharmacy in Al-Raqqa (via RBSS)
  • Al-nour mosque, before and after the alleged Coalition strikes (via Sound and picture facebook)
  • A picture showing the destruction of Al-Nour mosque and the area near Al-Barazi pharmacy (via Sharqiya voice facebook)

US-led Coalition Assessment:

  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition
  • US-led Coalition position on incident
    Non credible / Unsubstantiated
    Insufficient information to assess that, more likely than not, a Coalition strike resulted in civilian casualties.
  • Reason for non-credible assessment
    Insufficient evidence of civilian harm
  • Civilian deaths conceded
    None
  • Civilian injuries conceded
    None
  • Stated location
    near Raqqah, Syria
    Nearest population center

Civilian casualty statements

US-led Coalition
  • Oct 27, 2017
  • After a review of available information and strike video it was assessed that there is insufficient evidence to find that civilians were harmed in this strike.

Original strike reports

US-led Coalition

For June 9th-10th: “Near Raqqah, 20 strikes engaged 12 ISIS tactical units; destroyed seven fighting positions, four vehicles, three ISIS headquarters, a VBIED, and an ISIS-held building; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.” It additionally added that “On June 9, near Raqqah, Syria, nine strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed four fighting positions, two VBIEDs, two weapons caches, and an ISIS staging area.”

For June 10th-11th: “Near Raqqah, 17 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units and destroyed six fighting positions, four vehicles, two ISIS front-end loaders, two ISIS headquarters, an ISIS UAS and an ISIS barge.” It additionally reported that “On June 10, near Raqqah, Syria, 11 strikes engaged 9 ISIS tactical units; destroyed eight fighting positions, a tunnel, a weapons storage facility, and a command and control node; damaged an ISIS factory; and suppressed a sniper.”

UK Military
  • English
    /
    Original

Saturday 10 June – In Raqqa, a Reaper struck a group of terrorists engaged in a fire fight with Syrian Democratic Forces, and Typhoons hit two tunnel entrances…The following day [June 10th] , a Reaper intervened in a fire fight in western Raqqa between the SDF and a group of Daesh fighters. The Reaper hit the latter with a very effective Hellfire attack. The same day, Paveway-armed Typhoons struck two entrances to a network of tunnels built beneath a factory in the north-east of the city.

Summary

  • Civilian harm reported
    Yes
  • Civilians reported killed
    5
  • (2 children2 women1 man)
  • Civilians reported injured
    1
  • Airwars civilian harm grading
    Contested
    Competing claims of responsibility e.g. multiple belligerents, or casualties also attributed to ground forces.
  • Suspected belligerent
    US-led Coalition

Sources (47) [ collapse]